The present invention is directed to bicycle computers and, more particularly, to a bicycle computer with a foldable display.
Bicycle computers often are used to display various operating parameters such as speed, cadence, distance traveled, heart rate, etc. The typical bicycle computer includes a base member mounted to the bicycle handlebar. A keypad for entering data and a display for displaying the desired parameters are usually mounted on the base member in an upward-facing direction so that the keypad may be easily manipulated and the display may be easily viewed during riding. A wheel rotation sensor and/or a crank arm rotation sensor are mounted on one of the wheels and on one of the crank arms, respectively, for providing rotation data to a central processing unit (CPU) located in the base member. The wheel and crank arm sensors communicate with the CPU either through a wire or through a wireless transmission means.
Although the keypad and display are positioned for ease of use by the rider, the configuration exposes the keypad and display to hot sun, rain, dust, mud, wind, etc. Since the computer is electrically operated, there is a great risk that the electronic components may be damaged from heat, moisture, flying objects or some other element. While some steps can be made to make the computer more resistant to the elements, such as sealing the openings to make the computer more water resistant, such measures are not always effective since the bicycle and computer often are traveling through the wind and rain at a high speed, and the wind pressure often causes the water to penetrate the computer anyway. Furthermore, such measures do not protect the computer from impact damage caused by flying objects.